Hard to believe, but it’s been three years since I blogged about Adrienne Mayor’s book explaining references to giant skeletons and bones in ancient classical authors (The First Fossil Hunters: Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times). It’s highly recommended. Tonight I came across a 24-page PDF that is the new introduction to the 2011 edition of the book. If you haven’t read the book (and you should), the intro will give you a very good idea of the sorts of things Mayor covers in her book.
Giant Mistaken Identity
Have not read the book but saw a documentary on the subject . One problem I have with SOME of the propositions that mythical creatures arose out of extinct animal bones is that for example the cyclops coming from elephant bones I think is trivial since the elephant was a well known animal in the ancient near east and their bones could be identified by them . Also the notion that some of these creatures were seen as spiritual and not physical is troubling .
she would be arguing that the skull of the elephant could be mistaken for a cyclops due to the front cavity in which (we know) the tusks would go. Remove then and you have a single frontal cavity.
Hey Mike….could you or would you ever comment on some of the work of David Lowe…Doug Elwell..Pat Heron o etc…Does your work in ancient languages match up with thier interepations…….
.Just curious
I need specifics. I don’t have the time to go read several books for the purpose of critiquing them. I can tell you that I don’t share Paddy’s views on end times in several respects. For why, you’d need to go to my Naked Bible blog and read through my eschatology posts: http://michaelsheiser.com/TheNakedBible/eschatology-discussion/
I don’t know anything about the others.
Check this out, maybe it’s nephilim.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2063486/Is-alien-skull-Mystery-triangular-shaped-head-Peru.html#ixzz1eARqRtcr
what would lead one to suspect a connection with the biblical nephilim? What would lead you to suspect it’s real? Where is the scientific report, where real scientists tell us it isn’t a hoax (as opposed to what looks like a reporter for the UK version of the National Enquirer)?
Congratulations! This post was included in the November 2011 Biblical Studies Carnival. This is quite an achievement. My word, yes.
The problem I have with DR. Michelle Heiser lol is that he never speaks to astronomists, geologists, paleontologists, or even real in the field archaeologists. Just as Simcha Jocobovici says when find the real story of the Biblical Exodus. Your never going to get a answer if you keep using the same younger books to see and compare to the older ones. In REAL ARCHAEOLOGY we call that unscientific. To base a newer version of a story to get the original older anwers no wonder he’s never found anything.
this is utterly incoherent. I have posted many journal articles on this site citing authorities like this — have you not read any of them? I guess not. And I could care less what Jacobovici says about anything (and every archaeologist I know is less charitable than that).
I reviewed the book and it is fascinating. However, she does make many mistakes when it comes to the Bible and creationism.
I hate to spam but anyone interested in these can read my review:
http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/adrienne-mayor-%E2%80%9C-first-fossil-hunters%E2%80%9D-book-review